At CareerZoo today, we spoke to Anne Lanigan from IT’s Happening Here, Richard Eardley of Hays Recruitment, Joe Ffrench from Microsoft and Ryan Shanks from Accenture to get their views on the kind of employees they’re looking for, the skills that are in demand and the “global battle for talent.”

Thousands of job seekers arrived at CareerZoo in the Convention Centre Dublin today to find out more about the 4,000-plus positions on offer, participate in workshops on how to further their career, learn how to build an app in an hour, discover upskilling opportunities in third-level institutions, and connect with those doing the hiring in Ireland today.

Many of the companies actively recruiting at the event were from the tech industry, with representatives from both indigenous and international names. The growing tech jobs market in Ireland meant that this year was a first for CareerZoo, with a dedicated tech area dubbed the Tech Box.

Elaine Burke is managing editor of Siliconrepublic.com. She joined in 2011 as a journalist covering gadgets, new media and tech jobs news. She comes from a background in publishing and is known for being particularly persnickety when it comes to spelling and grammar – earning her the nickname, Critical Red Pen. When she hasn’t got her nose stuck in her laptop, you’ll find her in the kitchen, at the cinema, or on the dancefloor.